Day 19, Sunday 1/4:

Hitting the highway we set off from Berlin towards Oltzyn (~630km), in Poland. As we crossed the Polish border, we noticed many people had colorful clusters of flowers. We soon realised that this was because it was Palm Sunday. With 90% of Poles being Roman Catholic, it’s no wonder that this was such a consistent sight. As we continued east, more and more snow became evident beside the roadways. Upon arrival we made our way through the maze of one-way streets to our hotel, next to an old castle. Shortly after our arrival it began to snow – the first proper snow for the trip (and that I have seen). We set out into the cold in this delightful little town and settled on a restaurant recommended by the Lonely Planet. This consisted of traditional Polish fare including soup and pierogis (similar to ravioli); all was good.